The present invention relates to a vertical or horizontal robot for hydrodemolition of concrete. Many dams are made of steel reinforced concrete. This material has a finite service life and as that time period is approached, signs emerge that the useful life has arrived. Such signs include formation of cracks, crumbling, and pieces separating from one another and falling from the structure.
When it is time to repair such a dam, it is necessary to efficiently remove the concrete from its steel reinforcement and pour fresh concrete in its place. To perform such an operation, one must take into account the fact that such dams are often hundreds of feet tall and hundreds of feet wide with lengthy vertical, horizontal and/or angled surfaces. In order to perform such concrete removal, it is necessary to use heavy duty machinery that can traverse the height and width of the surface that is to be removed. Moreover, as mentioned above, the surface in question may be angled with respect to the vertical or it may be vertical or even include horizontal aspects. The sheer scale of such a project requires machinery of uncommon efficiency, otherwise, the economic feasibility diminishes and the amortization of the dam itself becomes shortened.
As such, a need has developed for a hydrodemolition device that can efficiently operate in the environment of the surface of a dam and cleanly, efficiently, and quickly demolish the concrete facade so that it can be replaced, thereby replenishing the dam and extending its useful life. It is with these needs in mind that the present invention was developed.